Chapter 62 Useless
After coming out of the Qianqing Palace, Zhu Yuhuan walked slowly on the palace road, staring at the road extending in the distance in silence, and began to think about the affairs of Luchuan in his heart.
According to maps, Luchuan is in modern-day Myanmar. Zhu Yuhuan's most profound impressions were the miasma, elephants, and silver bead powder. Even two hundred years later, the local environment would have severely hampered military operations. Given the difficulty of the operation, resolving the Luchuan issue in one fell swoop would not be accomplished in just one or two years; it would have required at least five to six years of multiple battles.
Zhu Yuhuan, having been assisting the government for a year, had a good understanding of the state treasury and knew that supporting a large army would be a breeze, provided they avoided fighting on multiple fronts. If they wanted to go to war with Luchuan, they would have to keep the north as calm as possible. Otherwise, if both sides were strained, even the richest treasury would not be able to sustain the situation. However, Zhu Qizhen was not so tolerant.
What a coincidence, it is only eight years away from the fourteenth year of Zhengtong.
When Huai En and other palace servants who followed Zhu Yuhuan heard the news that Zhu Yuhuan had returned to the palace, they were all waiting outside the side door of the Palace of Heavenly Purity. When they saw Zhu Yuhuan coming out, before they could greet him, Wang Zhen had already quickly chased after him and said, "Your Highness, please stay."
Zhu Yuhuan turned around and looked at Wang Zhen, then asked with a smile, "But does Your Majesty have any important matters that you asked Eunuch Wang to instruct me on?"
Wang Zhen hurriedly said, "Of course not... Your Highness's words were all for the sake of the Emperor and the Ming Dynasty. The Emperor naturally considered your words carefully..."
Zhu Yuhuan raised his eyebrows slightly and asked with a half-smile, "Is that Eunuch Wang's private matter?"
Wang Zhen saw the palace people nearby looking at him, and with an embarrassed look on his face, he said, "That... isn't it either."
Seeing his shyness, Zhu Yuhuan simply said, "Eunuch Wang is a trusted eunuch in the Imperial Household Department. His every word and action is for the benefit of Your Majesty. It's certainly not a personal matter."
Wang Zhen nodded repeatedly and said, "Your Highness is absolutely right. I have an idea in mind and would like to ask the Princess for her opinion. If it can benefit the country, then that would be great."
Zhu Yuhuan uttered an "oh" and said to Wang Zhen, "Then why didn't Eunuch Wang say it in front of His Majesty just now?"
Wang Zhen felt a little embarrassed by Zhu Yuhuan's sudden aggressiveness. He said, "I am short-sighted and crude. I am worried that my method will not be accepted by the Emperor and His Highness."
Zhu Yuhuan then revealed a gentle smile and said, "Don't worry, Eunuch Wang. These are all people in my palace. Such confidential matters will never be leaked. If even those close to me spread rumors, wouldn't the palace become a bamboo basket, leaking everywhere?" She said meaningfully, "What you say is what you say. Eunuch Wang, you must know this principle. Otherwise, if anything goes wrong, it will be your fault and mine."
When Wang Zhen heard her say this, he knew for sure that the eldest princess was on guard against this.
There are very few people who can participate in court affairs and maintain a close relationship with the emperor like Zhu Yuhuan. Caution is the unique skill of this eldest princess.
Wang Zhen had no choice but to speak: "To be honest, Your Highness, I believe that the army will conquer Luchuan and transfer important generals and officials to the southwest. This is to ensure the peace of the rear, especially the Oirat. Since Adai's death, the Oirat has become powerful and cannot be easily contained by other tribes."
Zhu Yuhuan sneered in his heart and said nothing.
It was Zhu Qizhen and Empress Dowager Zhang who joined forces with the Oirat to suppress the Arutai tribe. They simply regarded this as an achievement to demonstrate the emperor's majesty and wisdom.
After this battle, the Oirat gathered the remnants of the Arutai army and grew stronger. The three Wuliangha guards, who had previously been arrogant in front of the Ming Dynasty, also gave up on the Oirat. For a time, the Oirat seemed to have a tendency to dominate the grasslands.
Zhu Yuhuan naturally had no involvement in these matters, and that was why she remained silent.
They have done all the good things, and now the problem comes to her, and they are asking her, an irrelevant person?
Seeing that she remained silent, Wang Zhen quickly apologized with a smile, "Don't worry, Your Highness. This is all my idea. If anything does go wrong, I will bear the full responsibility!"
Zhu Yuhuan chuckled and asked, "If that's the case, why didn't Eunuch Wang say anything when I was in the palace just now?"
Wang Zhen was stunned by her question and stood still for a moment, not knowing how to respond.
He couldn't say that he wanted to smuggle weapons and sell them to the Oirat Mongols, so that the Oirat Mongols could come to Beijing to pay tribute and enjoy good food and drink, so he was cheating both sides, right?
Seeing him like this, Zhu Yuhuan couldn't help laughing. The laughter sounded a bit mocking and sarcastic. Of course, that was what she meant.
Even if he were given a chance to act, Wang Zhen would still be useless.
Zhu Yuhuan finally managed to stop smiling and said to Wang Zhen, "Trade is nothing shameful. Our father once traded with various Tatar tribes. Why are you being so sneaky? If trade can help prevent the Oirat from invading the border and keep the people living along the border safe, then why not?"
Wang Zhen couldn't help but look happy when he saw that she didn't seem to have any objection in her words.
Zhu Yuhuan curled her lips and continued, "But we must not relax our control over the trade even a little bit. If any contraband were to reach the Oirat, we would be nurturing a tiger to harm ourselves, waiting for them to stab us in the back." She looked at Wang Zhen and said meaningfully, "Eunuch Wang, this is no small matter. If something goes wrong as I've described, and His Majesty demands the cause, how can you bear the responsibility?"
Wang Zhen had also considered this possibility in his mind, but when Zhu Yuhuan reminded him of this in front of him, Wang Zhen still felt a little nervous.
Some words have different meanings when spoken by different people. If it were Zhu Qizhen who said this, he would have probably just brushed it off, but when it came from Zhu Yuhuan, it clearly had a more threatening tone.
But as the old saying goes, "The bold will die of overeating, and the timid will die of starvation." If Wang Zhenguang has no money and power, what's the point of his reputation?
Fame cannot be eaten or drunk, but if you have money and power, won’t fame be within your reach?
Princess Shunde's words seemed to make sense at first glance, but once the Ming Dynasty's 120,000 troops were sent to Luchuan, even if they could not quickly crush such a small country, it would be enough to make them dare not invade the Ming Dynasty in a short period of time. It presumably would not take too much time. Would they be afraid of any unusual movements on the northwest border by then?
What's more, the Wala usually just robbed at the border, killing a few civilians, stealing some women and food. Such small things have happened countless times, and there is no need to make a big fuss. What's more, there are Guo Jing and other border generals at the border. At most, he can give them some of the profits and let them pay more attention.
The Ming Dynasty was at the peak of its power. As long as it defended properly, could a small tribe like the Oirat Mongols really invade?
Thinking of this, Wang Zhen immediately gained confidence and said, "This servant is wholeheartedly serving the country and the emperor. If anything really happens, this servant is willing to take full responsibility!"
Zhu Yuhuan felt a touch of sarcasm when he heard him say this, but he simply said, "Eunuch Wang is so loyal to the country and considers Your Majesty's interests. I am very pleased. Your Majesty and the court officials will make the decision at the court tomorrow."
Wang Zhen smiled wryly and said, "The most urgent task now is the war between Luchuan and Yunnan. Why should we waste the court's time on such a trivial matter? Your Highness, don't worry. I will go back and ask the emperor's opinion." After that, he took his leave to Zhu Yuhuan. Judging from his hurried steps, he must be very impatient.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
